Image: BMW
Workers’ town, industrial metropolis, respected economic area: there are many names that have been associated with Steyr and its surroundings for several decades. A look at the history books shows why industry continues to shape the third largest city in Upper Austria.
Steyr experienced its first boom in the Middle Ages: Germany was supplied with iron ore that had been mined in Erzberg in Styria. The connection to Styria is reflected in the coat of arms: the silver, flame-breathing panther was the significant coat of arms image of the Margraves known as Otakare, later Dukes of Styria, who had their seat in Steyr.
Arms manufacturer Josef Werndl laid the foundation for today’s business location. The entrepreneur not only created tens of thousands of jobs, but also built residential buildings, schools and swimming pools for his employees. In the 1920s, the car industry began to pick up speed: the first vehicle left the Steyr plant. In 1934, the arms factory was merged into Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. From 1987 many companies emerged from the industrial conglomerate that are still active in and around Steyr today: MAN, SKF, Steyr Mannlicher and Steyr Motors. The roots of Magna Steyr, headquartered in Graz, also go back to this. The flagship is the engine plant of the Bavarian car manufacturer BMW with 4340 employees and most recently 3.3 billion euros in revenue.
In the wake of the leading companies in the vehicle and supplier industry, numerous medium-sized and small companies have developed, says Peter Hrubant, deputy AMS manager in Steyr: “The above-average wage level for decades also means that many employees from neighboring districts commute to Steyr. “
Industry ahead of trade and service providers
The breakdown by economic sector also shows that industry is the most important pillar for the region. Around a third of all employees in the region work in production. The second largest area is trade, followed by service providers, health and social professions and construction.
Cornelia Schwabl, head of the Steyr Chamber of Commerce, sees the broad mix of companies and professions as an opportunity, but also “a major challenge to make the location more attractive and fit for the future”. Steyr is one of the leading industrial, export and technology regions in Upper Austria.
facts and figures
99,088 According to Statistics Austria (as of January 1, 2022), people live in the districts of Steyr and Steyr-Land. In Steyr there are 37,879
Inhabitants in Steyr-Land 61,209.
6952 companies are in the districts: 2705 in Steyr, 4247 in Steyr-Land. This is the result of figures from the Chamber of Commerce, which will remain unchanged from 2021.
426 foundations: According to the Chamber of Commerce, this is how many companies were founded in Steyr and Steyr-Land in 2022 (132 in Steyr, 294 in Steyr-Land). In 2021 there were 384 start-ups.
42,196 employees according to the labor market service, there was an annual average in 2022 in the two districts: 16,303 in Steyr, 25,893 in Steyr-Land.
The unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in both districts. In Steyr it was 8.8 percent, in Steyr-Land 3.9 percent.
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